Background: I started with Oblivion, after logging a couple hundred hours there I played Morrowind for a while. I own Skyrim from the midnight launch, and since then logged 93 hours on it.
My complaint, then, is this: in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, all locations feel exactly like they would in a game, as opposed to real life. Take dungeons, for example. Do any Ayleid ruins look or feel like someone would ever live there, or work there? And I don't mean the fact that they look abandoned and desiccated, that's to be expected for a building that's been left alone for hundreds or thousands of years. I mean the general layout: there are meaningless rooms which seem to serve no purpose other than to house a chest and/or a concealed trap somewhere nearby, tunnels which were built to lead to nowhere, dramatic overlooks which would surely be a workplace hazard... and don't get me started on Skyrim's ring dungeon design, where the exit from the dungeon is conveniently located just after the end boss, and it, along with the entrance, is the only way in or out of the place.
Going away from dungeons for a minute, how about all those abandoned forts and castles? In real life, castles were kind of a big deal, you know, being big and comfy and very expensive and all that. The moment one would fall into a state of disrepair, I'd expect some Jarl or Thane or whomever to assemble a crew, clean the place out of whatever undead or bandits (or undead bandits) that may have taken over, move in there, and live like kings. And yet, I have yet to bump into a castle in either Oblivion or Skyrim, outside of a main city, that is NOT populated with the aforementioned undead or bandits.
I suppose this can all be justified as a case of gameplay versus story segregation. Certainly, the ring design is very convenient, and all those meaningless rooms /do/ have a purpose -- in the game. And maybe I'm just complaining because my favourite character to play is that of an assassin/thief, so I've gotten to appreciate non-linear location design. But if you're playing a warrior, nothing's more convenient than breathing a breath of fresh air after killing the end boss of a dungeon, hmm?
Of course, none of these things have a chance of being changed. Gameplay is gameplay, and as much as ergonomic dungeon/castle design would help the game's world, that's not how it is. But what do you guys think? Has anyone noticed this? Do you agree that it'd help the immersion and realism somewhat? Or am I looking at this the wrong way?
My complaint, then, is this: in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, all locations feel exactly like they would in a game, as opposed to real life. Take dungeons, for example. Do any Ayleid ruins look or feel like someone would ever live there, or work there? And I don't mean the fact that they look abandoned and desiccated, that's to be expected for a building that's been left alone for hundreds or thousands of years. I mean the general layout: there are meaningless rooms which seem to serve no purpose other than to house a chest and/or a concealed trap somewhere nearby, tunnels which were built to lead to nowhere, dramatic overlooks which would surely be a workplace hazard... and don't get me started on Skyrim's ring dungeon design, where the exit from the dungeon is conveniently located just after the end boss, and it, along with the entrance, is the only way in or out of the place.
Going away from dungeons for a minute, how about all those abandoned forts and castles? In real life, castles were kind of a big deal, you know, being big and comfy and very expensive and all that. The moment one would fall into a state of disrepair, I'd expect some Jarl or Thane or whomever to assemble a crew, clean the place out of whatever undead or bandits (or undead bandits) that may have taken over, move in there, and live like kings. And yet, I have yet to bump into a castle in either Oblivion or Skyrim, outside of a main city, that is NOT populated with the aforementioned undead or bandits.
I suppose this can all be justified as a case of gameplay versus story segregation. Certainly, the ring design is very convenient, and all those meaningless rooms /do/ have a purpose -- in the game. And maybe I'm just complaining because my favourite character to play is that of an assassin/thief, so I've gotten to appreciate non-linear location design. But if you're playing a warrior, nothing's more convenient than breathing a breath of fresh air after killing the end boss of a dungeon, hmm?
Of course, none of these things have a chance of being changed. Gameplay is gameplay, and as much as ergonomic dungeon/castle design would help the game's world, that's not how it is. But what do you guys think? Has anyone noticed this? Do you agree that it'd help the immersion and realism somewhat? Or am I looking at this the wrong way?
